Looking for vision and creativity

The first round of the mayoral race featured plenty of forums, but the discussions lacked adequate specifics. Leticia Van de Putte and Ivy Taylor should be more precise in the runoff.

The first round of the mayoral race featured plenty of forums, but the discussions lacked adequate specifics. Leticia Van de Putte and Ivy Taylor should be more precise in the runoff.

Photo: /John W. Gonzalez

Photo: /John W. Gonzalez

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The first round of the mayoral race featured plenty of forums, but the discussions lacked adequate specifics. Leticia Van de Putte and Ivy Taylor should be more precise in the runoff.

The first round of the mayoral race featured plenty of forums, but the discussions lacked adequate specifics. Leticia Van de Putte and Ivy Taylor should be more precise in the runoff.

Photo: /John W. Gonzalez

Looking for vision and creativity

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Let’s do it again. But a bit differently.

The runoff election for San Antonio mayor and council occurs June 13.

On Saturday, former state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, who ran last year on the Democratic ticket for lieutenant governor, and appointed Mayor Ivy Taylor earned runoff berths to be mayor. There were 14 candidates, four considered serious. Former state Rep. Mike Villarreal finished third, and former Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson ran fourth.

It’s not that the mayoral campaigning to date didn’t touch on issues. There were, after all, about 50 candidate forums. And there were many issues — police and fire pay, transportation (with a charter amendment to add spice), water resources, Alamo restoration and the job performance of City Manager Sheryl Sculley.

It’s just that much of the discussion lacked specifics, and issues were overshadowed in the final days by jabs over alleged ethics violations. In truth, with the exception perhaps of support for the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance that protects gay rights, there wasn’t a whole lot of daylight between the four top candidates.

On the controversial nondiscrimination ordinance, which the city passed in 2013, then-council member Taylor voted no. Van de Putte has said she would have voted yes. That’s a telling difference, but the task ahead for these two candidates is to tell voters precisely how they would also do things differently on the array of other issues. And what is it about these differences that recommend one candidate over the other? Months of electioneering hasn’t told that story.

A crucial issue absent from the debate so far is the economic segregation that plagues San Antonio, fueled by an inadequate number of good-paying jobs and lack of foresight on issues that directly affect the city’s quality of life. Education is not in the city’s portfolio, but are there more creative ways beyond Pre-K 4 SA to partner with area school districts?

Also, what aspects of the candidates’ leadership styles will spell success?

The only one with mayoral experience is Taylor. It’s been roughly nine months since her appointment — secured after promising the council that she wouldn’t run for mayor. However, in the midst of her lieutenant governor campaign, Van de Putte indicated she had no interest in running for mayor.

Frankly, Taylor’s nine-month record has not revealed enough leadership. San Antonio has a weak-mayor form of government, but that doesn’t mean voters can’t demand more than that label implies. And the office offers a significant bully pulpit. So, who can corral the votes for moving San Antonio forward? We gave Van de Putte the nod on that score.

Between now and June 13 we’d like to see creative vision — how San Antonio and its residents can rise to their full potential. This time: Specifics, please.